- PoliticsThe Independent
Roger Stone to appear in court over controversial Instagram post that could send him to jail while awaiting trial
Roger Stone has been ordered back to court on Thursday to discuss a controversial Instagram post that attacked the judge presiding over his trial. Earlier Monday, Stone posted a photo of US District Judge Amy Berman Jackson with what appeared to be crosshairs near her head. Stone and his lawyers filed a notice on Monday night saying they recognised “the photograph and comment today was improper and should not have been posted.
WorldReutersFrance shaken by outbreak of anti-Semitic violence and abuse
The problem was starkly underlined on Tuesday with the discovery of more than 90 graves in a Jewish cemetery in eastern France desecrated with swastikas and other abuse. "Whoever did this is not worthy of the French republic and will be punished," declared President Emmanuel Macron as he paid homage at the site. "We'll take action, we'll apply the law and we'll punish them." Politicians from across the spectrum will join marches against anti-Semitism across France on Tuesday evening, including in Paris.
- PoliticsUSA TODAY
Derailed? Feds plan to cancel nearly $1B for California's high-speed rail project
The U.S. Department of Transportation plans to cancel $929 million in federal funding for California's high-speed rail project, threatening the state's plan to complete the first phase of a project that has intensified a rivalry between President Donald Trump and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In a Tuesday letter from the Federal Railroad Administration addressed to Brian Kelly, CEO of California's High-Speed Rail Authority, Administrator Ronald Batory wrote that the cancellation of funds will take effect on March 5. The rail project has faced cost overruns and years of delays.
WorldAFPAbbas says will reject reduced tax reimbursement from Israel
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas said Wednesday he would not accept partial payment of tax transfers owed by Israel, which decided to withhold reimbursements in retaliation for payments to prisoners jailed for attacks. "We shall not accept the (tax) money if it is not paid in full," Abbas told a central committee of the Palestine Liberation Organisation in Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. Israel's security cabinet on Sunday approved the freezing of $138 million (122 million euros) over the Palestinian Authority's payments to prisoners jailed for attacks on Israelis.
CelebrityAssociated PressObama joined by Curry to tell minority boys 'you matter'
Former President Barack Obama and Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry told a roomful of minority boys on Tuesday that they matter and urged them to make the world a better place. Obama was in Oakland, California, to mark the fifth anniversary of My Brother's Keeper, an initiative he launched after the 2012 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. The initiative was a call to communities to close opportunity gaps for minority boys, especially African-American, Latino and Native American boys, Obama said to roughly 100 boys attending the alliance's first national gathering.
WorldReutersGuaido says he's trying to freeze Venezuelan accounts in Switzerland
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaido said he spoke to Switzerland's president on Wednesday to try to freeze banks accounts belonging to the tumultuous South American nation after "irregular movements" were discovered. Guaido invoked a constitutional provision to claim the presidency three weeks ago, arguing that Nicolas Maduro's reelection last year was a sham. Since then, Guaido has been trying to control Venezuelan assets overseas.
NewsThe IndependentLesbian couple turned away by Indiana tax preparer four years after Mike Pence signed anti-LGBTQ law
A married lesbian couple in Indiana were turned away by a tax preparer when they attempted to file their taxes jointly last week, making them one of many victims of the state's anti-LGBTQ laws. Bailey and Samantha Brazzel got married last July and decided to file their taxes jointly for the first time. The couple went to Carter Tax Service in Russiaville to meet with Nancy Fivecoate, a tax preparer Ms Bailey used for the last four years.
WorldBloombergChina's Silicon Valley Blueprint Has Plenty of Holes
Late Monday, the official Xinhua News Agency released details of the State Council's Greater Bay Area plan – a project to knit together Hong Kong and Macau with nine mainland cities into a global innovation hub to rival California's Silicon Valley. The trouble is, there's little new on how authorities plan to make this grand vision into a reality. Announced by Premier Li Keqiang in March 2017, the Greater Bay Area forms part of China's push for supremacy in technology, while also binding the former European colonies more tightly into the country.
- NewsTime
An 11-Year-Old Student Was Arrested in Florida After Refusing to Stand for the Pledge of Allegiance
A sixth grade student at a Florida school was arrested for disruption and resisting arrest after a confrontation with a teacher in which he refused to stand for the Pledge of Allegiance, reportedly saying the flag was racist and the pledge was offensive to black people. Spectrum Bay News 9 reports that the 11-year-old was removed from class on Feb. 4, suspended for three days, arrested shortly after and taken to a juvenile detention center. The dispute ensued after a substitute teacher at Chiles Middle Academy in Lakeland asked him to stand up, reportedly unaware of that the school does not require participation during the pledge.
U.S.FOX News VideosFirst lawsuit filed in Covington Catholic case, student seeking $250M from the Washington Post
The defamation lawsuit filed on behalf of Covington Catholic High School student Nick Sandmann alleges the teen has suffered permanent harm to his reputation as a result of the paper's malice; Doug McKelway reports.
- BusinessCar and Driver
See Photos of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz SL Grand Edition
The current SL reminds us of Benzes bygone, so it's leaving the scene with exclusive colors and body trim. From Car and Driver
- NewsUSA TODAY
Third migrant dies in Border Patrol custody in as many months
A 45-year-old undocumented immigrant from Mexico died in Border Patrol custody Monday after crossing the U.S.-Mexico border into Texas, marking the third person to die in the agency's custody since December. The immigrant illegally crossed the border and was arrested by the Roma (Texas) Police Department on Feb. 2, requested medical attention and was taken to a local hospital, according to a statement released Monday night by Customs and Border Protection. The following day, after receiving a welfare check by CBP officials, the immigrant again requested medical attention and was taken to the McAllen Medical Center, where the immigrant was diagnosed with cirrhosis of the liver and congestive heart failure, CBP said.
PoliticsAFPOne-time US head of Russia probe to leave office soon: reports
The US Justice Department official who once oversaw the Russia probe, Rod Rosenstein, plans to resign in mid-March, US news outlets reported. Rosenstein's departure from his post as deputy attorney general has been expected for some time. CNN late Monday quoted a department official as saying it has nothing to do with recent explosive claims by the former acting director of the FBI, Andrew McCabe.
WorldAssociated PressPope's sex abuse prevention summit explained
Pope Francis is hosting a four-day summit on preventing clergy sexual abuse, a high-stakes meeting designed to impress on Catholic bishops around the world that the problem is global and that there are consequences if they cover it up. The meeting opening Thursday comes at a critical time for the church and Francis' papacy, following the explosion of the scandal in Chile last year and renewed outrage in the United States over decades of cover-up that were exposed by the Pennsylvania grand jury report. Here is a look at what's in store for the summit.
WorldReutersHuawei founder says Huawei CFO arrest was politically motivated - BBC
Huawei founder Ren Zhengfei said on Monday that the arrest of his daughter, Huawei Chief Financial Officer Meng Wanzhou, was politically motivated. "Firstly, I object to what the U.S. has done. This kind of politically motivated act is not acceptable," Ren told the BBC in an interview.
- PoliticsThe Independent
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez refuses to back Bernie Sanders for 2020: 'We're not thinking at all about the next election'
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has refused to endorse Bernie Sanders for the 2020 Democratic nomination, despite working on the senator's first presidential campaign. A spokesperson for Ms Ocasio-Cortez, like Mr Sanders a self-described democratic socialist, refused to comment directly on the 77-year-old's Tuesday announcement he is running for a second time. Any endorsement by Ms Ocasio-Cortez is likely to be influential on the outcome of the race, thanks to her massive support among the grassroots of the party.
- BusinessBloomberg
Southwest Air Drops on $60 Million Hit From U.S. Shutdown
Southwest Airlines Co. slid after warning that the U.S. government shutdown hit sales harder than previously estimated. The political stalemate that ended last month will reduce first-quarter revenue by $60 million as the aftereffects lingered on, Southwest said in a regulatory filing Wednesday. When the discounter reported earnings last month, it estimated the impact would be $10 million to $15 million for Jan. 1 through Jan. 23.
- NewsAssociated Press
Father accused of beating, raping twin daughters sentenced
A 52-year-old Minneapolis man accused of beating and raping his mentally disabled twin daughters has been sentenced to 30 years in prison. Hennepin County Judge Fred Karasov sentenced the man Wednesday for crimes committed against the women when they were teenagers, and for endangering his third daughter, who is a juvenile. One of the twins said in a victim impact statement that their father "hurt, used and abused the whole family."
NewsUSA TODAYAirlines begin waiving change fees for new winter storm
TUESDAY UPDATE: Airlines are canceling flights and expanding their rebooking waivers ahead of a new winter storm that looks increasingly likely to disrupt flights at airports from the Great Plains into the Northeast. Full story: Airlines already canceling Wednesday flights for new winter storm PREVIOUS UPDATE: Air travelers faced disruptions this week from a new round of wintry weather. A developing storm system was expected to spread a mix of snow, rain and icy weather across a large swath of the United States this week.
- LifestyleArchitectural Digest
The Best Thing in IKEA's New Summer Collection Is . . .
Despite the cacophony of color and pattern on every page, one particular set of products stood out, which we quickly deemed the best thing in the whole catalog: the SOLVINDEN outdoor lamps (which happen to be online and in stores today). Here's why . The SOLVINDEN floor lamp features a lipstick-red polka-dot shade, while the SOLVINDEN table lamp comes in marigold-and-white stripes.
WorldFOX News VideosFarrakhan to Omar: Don't apologize for Israel comments
Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan defends Minnesota congresswoman.
- WorldTime
'You'll Lose Everything.' President Trump Warns Venezuelan Military to Abandon Nicolas Maduro
President Donald Trump urged Venezuela's military to drop their support for President Nicolas Maduro and allow humanitarian aid into the country. You'll lose everything,” Trump said at a Monday night rally in Miami, warning Venezuela's armed forces to suspend their loyalty to Maduro. The crowd at Florida International University was made up of mostly of immigrants from Venezuela and Cuba, Reuters reports.
StyleAFPBenetton's new French flair colours debut in Milan
Benetton took to the catwalk in Milan for the first time Tuesday with its debut collection by French designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac in a bid to revive the historic Italian brand. The show, which kicked off Milan fashion week, opened with a homage to Karl Lagerfeld, who died Tuesday aged 85. "Thank you, Karl," Castelbajac said.
- WorldReuters
Islamic State steps up guerrilla attacks in Syria: SDF
Islamic State has stepped up guerrilla attacks against U.S.-backed fighters in eastern Syria, pointing to the threat the jihadists will pose even after they lose their last enclave there, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) said on Tuesday. The U.S.-backed SDF is on the brink of defeating Islamic State (IS) in its last pocket in eastern Syria, the village of Baghouz, where it estimates a few hundred Islamic State fighters and about 2,000 civilians are under siege. Islamic State militants have intensified attacks away from the last frontline in recent days, Mustafa Bali, head of the SDF media office, said.
- WorldThe Independent
Putin threatens to target US if it deploys missiles to Europe: 'Let them count the range and speed of our weapons'
President Vladimir Putin threatened the United States with an expanded array of strategic weapons on Wednesday, announcing a new hypersonic missile and the early deployment of nuclear submarines equipped with long-distance underwater drones. Mr Putin's harsh rhetoric, delivered in his annual state of the nation address, was a return to familiar territory. Exactly one year ago he used the same speech to unveil a new generation of six nuclear weapons, and deployed an animated video showing a direct strike on Florida to emphasise his point.
